By Joe Trammell
On Wednesday, January 11, our Safety Committee (Joe Trammell, Michael Ticktin and Peggy Malkin) met at the Monmouth County Fire Academy with Monmouth County Fire Marshall Kevin Stout and fellow Roosevelt resident and Englishtown Fire Marshall Ed Miller. Kevin is also Long Branch Fire Chief and is participating in a shared service agreement with the town of Monmouth Beach. Ed’s Englishtown Fire Department is also participating in a shared service agreement with parts of neighboring Manalapan. The purpose of our meeting was to obtain a clear understanding of our duties, responsibilities and liabilities as a committee, council and borough in the matter of ensuring life, safety, and the protection of property of our Roosevelt citizens.
We now understand that all emergency personnel (Fire, EMS, OEM and Code Enforcement) are deemed to be employees of the Borough for purposes of liability, since they are acting under authorization from the Borough and we (individuals, committee, Council and Borough) are fully liable for the actions and safety of the employees and equipment used by the employees. Also, as for all Fire Departments in New Jersey, our Borough Clerk must have on file copies of certain key documents:
Kevin Stout also told us that the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) would only cover us on any claims if all vehicles, equipment and personnel involved in any incident were appropriately certified. If we do not have all paperwork on file and in order and anyone gets hurt, then we (individuals, Committee, Council and Borough) are liable. Kevin said that he was willing to come to Roosevelt to meet with the Council to discuss this and other matters and answer any questions.
We also learned that a firehouse is not as simple as a garage to keep the trucks in. It must be equipped with OSHA standard equipment and ventilation that would add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost. In addition, there are many costs associated with maintaining a fired department:
A basic fire engine (new) costs at least $300,000. We do not know how much it cost to bring an older truck up to standards. All personnel should have “turn out gear”: helmets, coats, pants and boots. This safety equipment, including “self-contained breathing apparatus,” costs over $10,000 per firefighter. Modern communications equipment, infrared cameras, computers and electronics will certainly have to be considered as many fire departments are floating bonds to upgrade their older equipment.
All of the above mentioned—firehouse, equipment, apparatus, and personal protection gear—must be maintained, inspected and certified at least on a yearly basis. Personnel must have continuing education and training as per New Jersey Fire Code and their Chief of Department.
What we now know is that all of this is not cheap. The cost of a firehouse and department goes well beyond the cost of a basic structure to house apparatus. There should be a plan in place that covers all the above requirements in depth. It would incumbent upon us to know the true cost of having a proper fire service before committing ourselves.
We also explored the concept and nature of shared services with neighboring towns.
In doing, so we scheduled a meeting with Dave Markunas, Millstone Fire Commissioner. We met at Millstone Firehouse in Clarksburg on January 19. Dave was kind enough to give a tour of his firehouse. It was an impressive station with two tankers, a ladder truck, engines and rescue vehicles, a brush truck, and Chief’s vehicle. We then discussed the fact that the Millstone Fire Department has taken care of our emergencies for years including an average of 24 calls per year from 2012 to 2016. Dave said that in 2016 Millstone responded to almost 800 calls. Millstone has responded to approximately 100% of our calls, totaling 12 in 2016 (January to August). It was acknowledged that we have not contributed anything to the Millstone Fire Department in that time. Dave Markunas said that he would support a “phase in” period of up to five years, but that, after that period, Roosevelt would have to pay at the same rate as Millstone taxpayers.
We discussed several shared service arrangements of other towns (Englishtown – Manalapan, Upper Freehold – Allentown, Long Branch - Monmouth Beach, Allenhurst - Loch Arbor - Interlaken). We discussed setting a fixed or sliding scale of costs per different types of incidents, a fixed price per year, a minimum price per year with additional costs per incident, FEMA guidelines for reimbursements and more. Ed was very informative as to how any of these scenarios could benefit both parties involved.
On February 1, the Safety Committee and Ed Miller met with Monroe District Two Station 57 Chief of Department Jim Carbin and two of his District Commissioners at the Halsey/Applegarth Road Firehouse, approximately five miles from Roosevelt. We discovered that this is a 24/7 professionally staffed department with engines, brush trucks, ladder truck, rescue vehicles, tankers and EMS vehicles at this location and more. Jim stated that response time to Roosevelt is around six minutes and they have means of controlling the traffic light on Rout 33. We discussed the possibility of contracting their services and they were interested. At their February 8 Commissioners meeting they discussed coverage of Roosevelt and decided that they could offer us a three-year contract at a fixed rate. Jim stated that he would be available to speak at Council or public meetings and answer any questions.
It is important to note that neither the Roosevelt, Millstone, nor Applegarth Fire Departments have the capability to deal with hazardous materials such as Chlorine, which is stored at the Roosevelt water and sewer plants. Hazardous Materials Teams in the immediate area are Monmouth County HAZ MAT team, West Windsor Emergency Services, and Middlesex County HAZ MAT team.
Additional Information Collected by the Committee
Firefighter Certification Requirements
To qualify as a certified Firefighter 1, individuals must be at least 18 years old and meet any ONE of the following requirements:
All Fire Officers must have state issued Fire Fighter certifications. Fire Officer Certification Requirements are specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2, and are as follows:
Level 1
a.Certified as Firefighter 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-4.2;
b.Certified as Hazardous Materials-Operational issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-6.3;
c.Certified as Incident Management Level 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-6.1;
d.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 1 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.29(b); or, has completed three years’ experience as a suppression fire officer; and,
e.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 1.
Level 2
a.Certified as Fire Officer 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(a);
b.Certified as Incident Management Level 2 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-6.1;
c.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 2 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(e); and,
d.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 2.
Level 3
a.Certified as Fire Officer 2 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(d);
b.Certified as Instructor Level 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-5.2;
c.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 3 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(h); and,
d.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 3.
Level 4
a.Certified as Fire Officer 3 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(g);
b.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 4 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(k); and,
c.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 4.
Note: The applicant must presents course completion certificates for I-100, I-700 and I-800 training programs at the time of application submittal to verify compliance to Executive Order 50 mandates.
Respectfully Submitted
Joe Trammell - Roosevelt NJ Council, Chair Safety Committee
Borough Council and Committee Members - Michael Ticktin, Peggy Malkin
On Wednesday, January 11, our Safety Committee (Joe Trammell, Michael Ticktin and Peggy Malkin) met at the Monmouth County Fire Academy with Monmouth County Fire Marshall Kevin Stout and fellow Roosevelt resident and Englishtown Fire Marshall Ed Miller. Kevin is also Long Branch Fire Chief and is participating in a shared service agreement with the town of Monmouth Beach. Ed’s Englishtown Fire Department is also participating in a shared service agreement with parts of neighboring Manalapan. The purpose of our meeting was to obtain a clear understanding of our duties, responsibilities and liabilities as a committee, council and borough in the matter of ensuring life, safety, and the protection of property of our Roosevelt citizens.
We now understand that all emergency personnel (Fire, EMS, OEM and Code Enforcement) are deemed to be employees of the Borough for purposes of liability, since they are acting under authorization from the Borough and we (individuals, committee, Council and Borough) are fully liable for the actions and safety of the employees and equipment used by the employees. Also, as for all Fire Departments in New Jersey, our Borough Clerk must have on file copies of certain key documents:
- Completed personnel applications
- NJ State Driver’s License and DMV abstracts
- Full criminal history and background checks of all personnel
- Inventories with yearly inspection reports and certifications
- Inventories of equipment and apparatus
- Personal Safety Gear with yearly inspection reports and certifications
- Yearly physicals for all personnel
- At least FF1 state certification
Kevin Stout also told us that the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) would only cover us on any claims if all vehicles, equipment and personnel involved in any incident were appropriately certified. If we do not have all paperwork on file and in order and anyone gets hurt, then we (individuals, Committee, Council and Borough) are liable. Kevin said that he was willing to come to Roosevelt to meet with the Council to discuss this and other matters and answer any questions.
We also learned that a firehouse is not as simple as a garage to keep the trucks in. It must be equipped with OSHA standard equipment and ventilation that would add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost. In addition, there are many costs associated with maintaining a fired department:
A basic fire engine (new) costs at least $300,000. We do not know how much it cost to bring an older truck up to standards. All personnel should have “turn out gear”: helmets, coats, pants and boots. This safety equipment, including “self-contained breathing apparatus,” costs over $10,000 per firefighter. Modern communications equipment, infrared cameras, computers and electronics will certainly have to be considered as many fire departments are floating bonds to upgrade their older equipment.
All of the above mentioned—firehouse, equipment, apparatus, and personal protection gear—must be maintained, inspected and certified at least on a yearly basis. Personnel must have continuing education and training as per New Jersey Fire Code and their Chief of Department.
What we now know is that all of this is not cheap. The cost of a firehouse and department goes well beyond the cost of a basic structure to house apparatus. There should be a plan in place that covers all the above requirements in depth. It would incumbent upon us to know the true cost of having a proper fire service before committing ourselves.
We also explored the concept and nature of shared services with neighboring towns.
In doing, so we scheduled a meeting with Dave Markunas, Millstone Fire Commissioner. We met at Millstone Firehouse in Clarksburg on January 19. Dave was kind enough to give a tour of his firehouse. It was an impressive station with two tankers, a ladder truck, engines and rescue vehicles, a brush truck, and Chief’s vehicle. We then discussed the fact that the Millstone Fire Department has taken care of our emergencies for years including an average of 24 calls per year from 2012 to 2016. Dave said that in 2016 Millstone responded to almost 800 calls. Millstone has responded to approximately 100% of our calls, totaling 12 in 2016 (January to August). It was acknowledged that we have not contributed anything to the Millstone Fire Department in that time. Dave Markunas said that he would support a “phase in” period of up to five years, but that, after that period, Roosevelt would have to pay at the same rate as Millstone taxpayers.
We discussed several shared service arrangements of other towns (Englishtown – Manalapan, Upper Freehold – Allentown, Long Branch - Monmouth Beach, Allenhurst - Loch Arbor - Interlaken). We discussed setting a fixed or sliding scale of costs per different types of incidents, a fixed price per year, a minimum price per year with additional costs per incident, FEMA guidelines for reimbursements and more. Ed was very informative as to how any of these scenarios could benefit both parties involved.
On February 1, the Safety Committee and Ed Miller met with Monroe District Two Station 57 Chief of Department Jim Carbin and two of his District Commissioners at the Halsey/Applegarth Road Firehouse, approximately five miles from Roosevelt. We discovered that this is a 24/7 professionally staffed department with engines, brush trucks, ladder truck, rescue vehicles, tankers and EMS vehicles at this location and more. Jim stated that response time to Roosevelt is around six minutes and they have means of controlling the traffic light on Rout 33. We discussed the possibility of contracting their services and they were interested. At their February 8 Commissioners meeting they discussed coverage of Roosevelt and decided that they could offer us a three-year contract at a fixed rate. Jim stated that he would be available to speak at Council or public meetings and answer any questions.
It is important to note that neither the Roosevelt, Millstone, nor Applegarth Fire Departments have the capability to deal with hazardous materials such as Chlorine, which is stored at the Roosevelt water and sewer plants. Hazardous Materials Teams in the immediate area are Monmouth County HAZ MAT team, West Windsor Emergency Services, and Middlesex County HAZ MAT team.
Additional Information Collected by the Committee
Firefighter Certification Requirements
To qualify as a certified Firefighter 1, individuals must be at least 18 years old and meet any ONE of the following requirements:
- Option 1: Served as an active member of a fire department for a period of not less than 18 months prior to July 1, 1994. The member must have performed the duties and function of a structural firefighter during the 18 months of active service. Proof of active membership in a fire department shall be verified by a letter from the fire chief of the department on department letterhead. Photo copy of a New Jersey Firemen’s Association “Certificate of Exemption” will be accepted as meeting the 18 months of active firefighter experience in place of a letter from the fire chief.
- Option 2: Shall have completed between January 1, 1989 and July 1, 1994, a Firefighter 1 recruit training program which meets or exceeds the Firefighter 1 recruit training standards found in N.J.A.C. 5:73-4.2 through 4.4(b).
- Option 3: Have successfully completed a Firefighter 1 recruit training course approved by the Office of Training and Certification.
All Fire Officers must have state issued Fire Fighter certifications. Fire Officer Certification Requirements are specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2, and are as follows:
Level 1
a.Certified as Firefighter 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-4.2;
b.Certified as Hazardous Materials-Operational issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-6.3;
c.Certified as Incident Management Level 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-6.1;
d.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 1 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.29(b); or, has completed three years’ experience as a suppression fire officer; and,
e.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 1.
Level 2
a.Certified as Fire Officer 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(a);
b.Certified as Incident Management Level 2 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-6.1;
c.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 2 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(e); and,
d.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 2.
Level 3
a.Certified as Fire Officer 2 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(d);
b.Certified as Instructor Level 1 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-5.2;
c.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 3 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(h); and,
d.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 3.
Level 4
a.Certified as Fire Officer 3 issued by the Division of Fire Safety in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(g);
b.Satisfactorily completes a Fire Officer 4 course of instruction approved by the Division of Fire Safety as meeting the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2(k); and,
c.Satisfactorily pass the written State examination for Fire Officer 4.
Note: The applicant must presents course completion certificates for I-100, I-700 and I-800 training programs at the time of application submittal to verify compliance to Executive Order 50 mandates.
Respectfully Submitted
Joe Trammell - Roosevelt NJ Council, Chair Safety Committee
Borough Council and Committee Members - Michael Ticktin, Peggy Malkin